The topography of the parish of st. Keverne
Yüklə 236 Kb.
|
|
THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE PARISH OF ST.KEVERNE. (From the original documents and personal investigations by CHARLES HENDERSON, M.A. (Fellow of Corpus Christ! College,Oxford). Part One.
of the Hundred of Kerrier popularly known as the Meneage. It contains 10,500 acres. In 1842 when the parish was surveyed for the Tithe Commutation, 5,751 acres were found to be arable, 4,170 downs, moors and waste, and only 13 woodland (1). The proportion of cultivated land to waste still remains much the same, but the woodland has been increased by the plantations of the Williams family at Lanarth,Rosuic,Roscarnan etc. The West part of the parish, including part of Goonhilly Downs, and the South, including Crowza Downs are thickly strewn with diallage rock. There are remains of primitive man on the Downs such as hut circles, barrows and megaliths, but the oldest farm settlements are ranged along the valley of the Durra going north east to Gillan Creek and the valleys of the streams which enter the sea at Porthallow and Porthoustock. The word Lis, a court or centre of jurisdiction, is found in Lesneage or Lesmeneage, "the Capital of Meneage", and in Lestowder, perhaps "the Court of Teudar", a King of Cornwall in the 6th Century. Trelease (Trelis) "the Court Town" adjoins Lesneage. Lan, or Monastery, the religious equivalent of Lis, is found in Lanheverne (Lan-akeveran) the old name of St.Keverne, and, perhaps, in Lanarth, but this is doubtful.
on Manacles point, and the Kestle-Menack in Rosecarnon. Dinas, a fortress, in Dinas near Blackhead; but these words refer to prehistoric strongholds (2). Thirty seven place names contain the word Tre(v), "a family settlement". The older of these are probably those containing personal names such as Tregellest or Tregonan. The others, like Trevean ("little town"),Trenance ("valley town"),Trenoweth ("new town") seem to date from a later time when the Trev had lost its personal or tribal significance. Bod or Bos,(3) another ancient word for a human settlement is only found once, viz, Boscarnan 'the house on the Cam' (4) Ty or Chy, (5) a house, occurs in the names of seven small holdings, all in the same part of the parish and all apparently descriptive in character viz: Chynhale,Chynhalls,Chyreen,Chymblo,Chyvrane,Chywednack and Chywoon. The other farm names are, in origin, not those of settlements but of natural features. In these, the words Pen, a top or end; Res, a ford; Ros, a heath; Forth, a port; Pol, a pool; Cam or Carnan, a rocky crag; Carek, a rock; Hal, a moor, etc., are most common. These places were originally waste land on the borders of the Trevs.
Award of 1842. At this date about a tenth of the fields possessed Cornish names. As a large part of the parish was not enclosed from the waste until after the 16th Century, when Cornish ceased to be generally spoken, many fields have never had any but English names. In other cases the Cornish names have given place to English. The Tithe Award is not a very reliable record, as the proofs were carelessly read, but I have been obliged to use it as a basis of this survey, and have checked it where possible by such older estate maps and surveys as I can find. There are still a few old people in St.Keverne who know the field names by tradition uncontaminated by printed forms, and from these I have made many enquiries. Their number is steadily decreasing and in a few years time this valuable link with the Cornish tongue will be broken forever. If traditional pronunciation is essential for the elucidation of field names, original documents going back to the Middle Ages are equally essential for that of place names. In this survey I have used all the documentary evidence that I can find and have arranged the old spellings of each name in chronological order.
of these I owe to the kindness of Mr.R.M.Nance, and these are distinguished by his initials. I should like to express my gratitude to him for these valuable suggestions, also to Mr.Henry Jenner for kindly reading through this paper and to Dr.Stephens and Mr.J.N.Rosewarne for practical assistance in surveying the parish. ********** 1. In spite of the tradition that the oak used in St.Keverne Church was grown on Crowza Downs, the word Coed or Couse, wood, does not occur once in the place names of the parish. Gilly "a grove", is found in one or two instances only. 2.Though Kestel must in origin imply a castle its meaning in Cornish place names may be little more than house. 3.The word Tre(v) is common all over Cornwall but Bod, though common is not evenly distributed. 4. In Welsh Carnan means a heap (R.M.N) 5. Ty is found in its old form in certain place names of capital importance,e.g. Tehidy, Tywarnhayle, Tywardreath. Chy, however, the same word is always applied to small holdings of later creation. The most important sources of information are indicated in the text, but they may be conveniently summarised as follows(those marked * have been printed; the rest are in MS): a)*The Anglo Saxon Charters of 967,977 and 1059 relating to Lesneage,Traboe, etc, in the Library of Exeter Cathedral. b)The Cartulary of St.Michael's Mount contains 12th and 13th century Charters about Lesneage; at Hatfield House. c)Court Rolls,Surveys etc, of the Manor of Traboe from 1400 - 1700 at Trewarthenick. d)Survey of the Reskymer lands in Meneage,1318, at Public Record Office.
C.H.
penes C.H. h) Rental of Tregarne Manor,1659; penes C.H. i) Survey of the Vyvyan Estate,1810, with lists of fields. j) Court Rolls,Surveys,etc of the Manor of Reskymer Meneage from 1400; penes C.H. k) Various Records in the P>R.O such as Assize Rolls,Patent Rolls,*Feet of Fines,*Inquisitions post mortem,etc. l)Rate Book of 1720 in the Parish Chest,giving list of tenements in the 'Turns'. m)Map of the Robartes Estate,1960 at Lanhydrock. n) Map of Truthans Manor,1767; at Trefusis. o)Map of Reskymer Meneage Manor,1812; penes C.H. p)Parish Map 1840; copy at Diocesan Registry,Truro, with *Tithe Award q)*0rdnance Survey Maps (6"). THE MENEAGE. (Amanech 1090,Manech or Manacich 1090,Menaoch 1318, Manahec 1281,Manek 1417,1431).probably "the Monkish land",from Managh = a monk(l). The Meneage is now considered to include the twelve parishes that form the whole of the Lizard peninsula, and this was the view taken by C.S.Gilbert in his Survey of Cornwall, 1820. Old people, however, and old records are inclined to confine the term to the N.E. part of the peninsula only viz,to the five parishes of Mawgan in Meneage,St.Martin in Meneage, Manaccan, St.Anthony in Meneage, and St.Keverne.
in St. Keverne, was clearly the Lis, or Capital of Meneage. The word Meneage (Managhek) also seems to occur in the name Manacles applied to the well known headland and rocks in the St.Keverne parish. Manacles may well stand for Managhek - als = Meneage Cliff or Point.
alternative (Saxon) name of the Church town, shows that some sort of Celtic monastery existed there after the Saxon Conquest. An account of the Manor of Meneage - Reskymer will be found in this survey under Treliever. l.Treveneage, anciently Trevanaek, and Brevanneck in St.Hilary near Marazion, seem to contain the word Managhec. ST. KEVERNE (St.Achebrannus of Lannachebran, 1085; St.Akeveranus, 1201; St.Akevranus 1278; St.Akeferan 1295; St.Kaveran 1236; St.Kyeran 1240; St.Kyeran 1265; St.Kieran 1280; St.Keveren 1580). The true form of the name of the patron Saint of St.Keverne appears to have been Akeveran. In the 13th century an attempt was made to identify him with the better known Irish Saint, Kierian (1). This attempt was, perhaps, due to the Cistercians of Beaulieu who acquired the Church circa 1230, and whose sister houses in Southern Ireland would have made them well acquainted with St.Ciaran or Kieran. At the Reformation, however, the popular and more correct spelling, Keveran or Keverne, came back again. That St.Keverne was an important religious centre in Celtic times, a Lan or Monastery, is proved by the name Lanheverne still attached to the lands on on which the Church and village stand and by the reference in Domesday (1085) to these lands having belonged before and after the Conquest of 1066 to the "Canons of St.Achebrannus" although recently seized by the Count of Mortain. By this usurpation the collegiate character of the Church was lost. It became the parish church of a large parochial area which we may suppose was assigned to it circa 1100.
forfeited his estates for rebellion in 1106. The patronage of the Church appears to have passed with the Earldom of Cornwall when Henry III conferred it on his brother Richard in 1225. A few years later Earl Richard, wishing to add to the endowment of the Cistercian Abbey of Beaulieu in the New Forest which his father had founded, conferred upon it the Church of St.Keveran with its lands and tithes. The benefice was a Rectory at the time and in 1235 the Abbey obtained Pope Gregory IX's license to appropriate its revenues. The Rector, one Bartholomew, objected to this as contrary to the Canon which allowed appropriation only if the religious house needed money to enlarge its numbers or to increase its hospitality. The Abbey, however, had powerful friends and continued to keep its valuable prize. In 1269 a Vicarage with cure of souls was established and a permanent division of the revenues was made between the Vicars and the Abbey as rector and patron. In 1288 the Papal Assessment for the rectory was £22.13s.4d as compared with £4.6s.8d. for the vicarage. Thus four fifths of the tithes paid by the parishioners went to a distant monastery. These included the valuable tithes of fish. In 1842 the tithes were commuted at £1,674, of which the vicar received £512 and the lay impropriators £1,162.
lay hands, viz. in St.Akeveran (or Lanheverne) and Tregonan. The latter became a Barton or Grange of the Abbey and finally a Cell of Monks was established there, (see Tregonan). It is impossible to determine how the limits of St.Keverne parish were evolved. For the most part they follow neither natural nor manorial boundaries of any importance. A parish is generally a tithe- paying area, of which one or more Lords of Manors in feudal times determined the limits. The manorial history of St.Keverne is very confused. The Anglo-Saxon Charters referring to Lesneage (967), Traboe (977 and 1059), etc, seem to have no relation to subsequent territorial arrangements. There was no paramount Manor. Domesday (1085) does not help us, for of the four places in St.Keverne named therein as Manors, viz. Trenant (Trenance),Trenbras,Roscarnon and Relant (Trelan) only the last remained a manor in later years. On the other hand Rosuic, or Lucy's, Traboe, Trenowith,Rosnython, and Meneage or Treliever, which appear as considerable manors and as Tithings or police divisions of the Hundred of Kerrier before 1283,are not mentioned in Domesday.
on account of its great size was divided into four unequal districts called Turns(2): namely Turn-Bean (or 'Little') including the Church Town, and the coast from Porthoustock to Coverack, Turn-Tregarne on the N.E. with the coast from Porthoustock to Lestowder, Turn-Traboe on the N.W. from Treleage to Dry Tree, and Turn-Trelan on the S.W with the coast from Coverack to Kennack. The last two were the largest in area and all four met near the Church town. these divisions are still known and used for some parochial purposes (3)
derived from the Latin quaterni. The population of the parish in 1910 was 1,913 and in 1801- 2,104. In 1377 -574 people paid the Poll tax in St.Kefran,implying a total population of about 900. It was by far the most populous parish in Kerrier, Breage the next having but 195 payers and Helston 188. The chief centres of population are the Church Town, Coverack, Porthallow and Porthoustock. The last three are fishing villages. Of these Porthallow was the chief in the Middle Ages. The Church town contained a dozen houses in Leiand's time(1535), so that the place was already a village, which was not usual among Cornish "Church- towns" at that date. St.Keverne was, like Beaulieu, a privileged Sanctuary, but how far the limits of the Sanctuary extended is not recorded, though Leiand's remark "ther (sic) is a Sanctuary with x or xii dwelling houses" suggests that it included the Church town.
one time and another 12 corn mills in the parish, viz, Pengarrick,Tregarne, and Mill Mehall on the Porthallow Stream; Godrevy,Polcoverack,Downas,Tregidden,Polkernogo,Trelease and Trelauvean; the last four being on the Durra stream. Only the Pengarrick mill is still working. These mills served various manors, whose tenants were compelled to grind their corn at them by manorial custom. There was a 'Tucking Mill' or fulling mill for cloth at Tregidden above the corn mill and at Chyreen is a field name, 'Vellanvens', which suggests that a windmill once stood there. Ancient chapels are recorded at Lestowder (St.John Baptist 1403),Tregowris (St.James),Traboe, Trelease, Chynalls and Gwenter. The chapels appear to have been for the convenience of parishioners and not oratories attached to manor houses, a Lazar House is recorded at Nanclegy near Mill Mehall in the 13th century.
names but only one cross remains, a fine monolith in a field at Trelanvean. There is the socket of a cross lying by the roadside at Zoar and another in a rock on the Down west of Kestle Merris. The roads and lanes of the parish remain much as they have always been. Some are mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Charters, such as the ridgeway from the Deadman through Tregowris to Gillan Creek. This is called a 'Herepath', or 'Military Road' in 967 and it is, in places a parish boundary, another proof of its antiquity. A century ago every farm in the parish had its Church way (4) or field path leading toward the church town, but some of these are no longer used. 1.The name Funten Keren (i.e. St.Keran's Well) occurs in a local Charter of 1290 but is no longer known.
of the 18th C. 4. In Cornish Forth Eglos or Vor-eglos hence the field name Vrigles or Wrigglers at Lesneage and elsewhere. ST. KEVERNE PARISH. SURVEY.
Appendix). ANHEA (Anhech 1317,Anhee 1486,Heya 1590,Anhea 1596)= the enclosure. Several places in Cornwall bear the name of Hay or An-hea e.g. in Gunwalloe,Madron,Gerrans,etc which seems to be derived from the Anglo Saxon word Hay, "an enclosure" with the Cornish definite article An, "the". The name is thus a hybrid and the places so called are probably not older than the 12th C. Anhea was one of the famrs belonging to the Manor of Traboe. q.v. Fields: Park Grous (1),Drysock(2)Hay-vean(Little Hay),Park an drea(3)Roundabout,Cothon or Cothans,Lapean (=? Nanspyghan,Little Valley),Mellenden,Gear (=An+caer,the Castle. There are remains of a circular entrenchment in this field).
is not found elsewhere in Cornwall. The place lies high above the cliff. In 1318 it was held under the Manor of Trelan. In 1650 it belonged to John Godolphin, of Dartmouth, in right of his wife, the daughter and heiress of John Tregosse,Esq., as part of the Manor of Trewothack. From a survey made in 1715 (a)we gain these field names: Park an drea (2),Park an Mowhay,Park an vounder,Dorrheire(5) Park an garrack (6),Park Skeber (7),Park Noweth (8),Park Henvor (=? Hen- forth,old road). Park Hare (=Long field),Parke Gweale Eva, Park and Crow (=?Hut f.),Park Behednoe,Croft Methednoe,Park Methednoe,(b) The Algates.
(6),Ergers Croft,Vogo (see Voage, a tenement in Arrowan),Hoy garden,Durden,Pellars Croft (9),Cleaver Croft, Derdrew,Vineyard (31) and the Plain. BAHOW, now a field in Trelanvean (Le Bahow and Baehow 1250,Baghow 1318,Park an Bahoe (1625). In this field, once a separate holding, were many prehistoric graves, suggesting that the name is derived from Bedhow='graves'.In one of these was found the Celtic bronze mirror now in the British Museum. (Baghow means 'dungeons'.Grave pits may have suggested the name. R.M.N.) BARGWITHA (Berguthyr 1311,Boregwithen 1720,Barguitho 1803).A small holding on the cliff above Carragloose or Lankidden headland; possibly from Barged-lyr,'the jutting out land'. There is a Bargotha (Bargoythou 1270) in St.Stephens in Branel. See also Hengither in St.Keverne. Field names: P-Hoylw,P-Rogers,P-Nees,Pellars Croft(9) P in Venton (10) and Carn-spernic (='thorny Cam').
instance of the word Bod or Bos, 'a dwelling' in St.Keverne. Carnon which is also found in Roscarnan implies a rock pile (Welsh Carnan) R.M.N. Fields - Dore f(5),Hayle Down (11) CARNELLAS (Carnellas 1280,1332,Karnellas 1318,Cornellis 1720. A very rocky holding on the cliff near Lowland Point Cam = Crag. CARNO (Carnhogh 1318,1350,Carnhough 1810) pron.with accent on second syllable, = Hog's Crag or possibly Barrow Crag (Hoga). CARNPESSACK (Karpesel 1230,Carpesek 1300,Carnpesek 1505,Corpessack 1710). This seems to be Car, 'a Castle', rather than Cam ' a crag'.Pesek seems to occur in Trempessick in Veryan. CARNSULLAN, near Coverack (Kaersuiek 1285,Carsulek 1318,Carsulek 1390,Cursullan 1720). Here again Cam seems to have usurped the place of Car.
In 1810 fields bore the names of Goon-vean(14),Park Sea,P- Drysack(2),P in Venton (10),P an Chy =( field near the house),Lan an mennor (?Lyn an meneth,'Pool on the hill'), and Gullanvease (?Gweal a ves,'the outer field'). In 1840 (as North Corner): Croft Trything,P-Lees,Gew.The Slibot,Rowpock,Gullvean,P-Venton,The Plain,Shipping Port,Gilly (21),Jones' Croft,The Weith (26),Eaver grass. The Venden Cock.
house on the moor',cf.Chyanhal in Paul,Chynhale in Perran,etc. In 1767 a field near the site of Godrevy Mill was called Loranvellan.i.e. Lowarth an velyn,'the garden of the mill'. Fields; Vounder (4)and Park Pavey.
Chemblogh 1720. Chy,'house',an 'of the' Blogh? cf., Namplogh in Cury. CHYNHALLS (Tyenals 1280,Chienals 1311,Chynals Wyot 1327). Ty or Chy 'house'',y'n 'opn the'. Alls 'cliff Fields P Bean (12), Weath (26), P.Willis,P.Parrow.
war an ryn 'house on the ridge'.cf., Chyreen in Sithney,formerly Chywarren. Fields in 1810: P Vain (12),P an Drea (3),Vellan Vens (?Velyn-wens windmill),P an Patrick, P Davas (sheep f).
1280,1350,Chienvran 1311,Cheverain 1780) ?Chy an Vran 'House of the Crow' cf Nyvrane.
on the Marsh', cf Arwennack in Budock,Trewennack in Wendron,Penwennack in St. Agnes.
name in Cornwall. Fields: Croft Oliver, The Praze (13) Gulley Orchard COBELLAN, near Traboe (1658) no longer known. CONGWIDNAN, now Polgwidnan, a tenement without a homestead near Tregarne. (Congwynnyon 1613,Congwinian 1710,Congwidnon 1810). In 1810 there were fields called Park Creese (16) Gew(17) and Park Roy. Also Clugea Lane leading to Mill Mehall (see Nanclegy). cf., Clodgy Lane,near Helston, at Polwheverai in Constantine,Mewdon in Mawnan etc. In 'dodgy', ' clugea','elegy', we probably have, writes Mr.R.M.Nance,cla'jy for clavjy = claf + chy,'lazar house'. W.clafdy. This suggestion is supported by the fact that the 'Lazar house of Nanclegy' is named in the 13th C. See Nanglegy.
Coverack,now Polcoverack, the name of the adjacent farm q.v. The name Covrak,per se, occurs in the Parish Register for 1588. (The th of Forth accounts for the change to c of the g in govrak, 'abundant in flowing water, gover, a stream' R.M.N)
Fields - In 1810 P Grows (1), P Attra.P Bean (12),Gew Veria or Vallow (17,P Crees (16),P Gullas (19),P an Drain (20),P Venton (10),P West,Halligy (see Tregarne) P Perrin, Coplings f. CRENHOC, near Tregaminion (Crenhoc 1260) no longer known. CROFT AN CROW in Treliever (Croft an Crow alias Priscan 1621) 'Croft of the Hut' CROWZA DOWNS pron. Crosea and Crewsha (Crouswrah 967,Crouswrach 977,Crowsah 1810 ? for Crows Wragh 'the hag's Cross', cf. Crowz an Wragh near the Lands End. Ponswrag (? 'Hag's Bridge') is named in Trevalso in 1318. The place Crowza seems to be at St Keverne Beacon, where the roads meet, but the name is now applied loosely to the Downs further West and even to a small holding between Trelanvean and Kenhewas. It is also used to denote a special kind of stone. Pedney Crousha (i.e. 'the end of the Crowza') the name of a field at Penvounder, shows that Crowza Down was held to extend as far South as that.
'Black Valley', a name very suitable to its appearance. Black Head is close by. Mr.Jenner suggests 'deep valley', cf Dyfnaint,the Welsh name for Devonshire.
Kelly. 'the Grove'. Although this farm lies on a rocky cliff, a sheltered strip is still called 'the Grove'. Tregod recalls the ownership of the Tregos family in the Middle Ages. Fields: Vinock (18),Cost lost (25).
Godref. cf Godrevy in Gwithian. This mill stood near the shore below Rosenython, of which it was the manor mill. See Chenhale.
1506,Goen berdue 1520,Goon Carthew alias Crowsa 1624,Goen garthew 1641,Goen gorthew 1670). This seems to have been an alternative name for part of Crowza Downs but is no longer known. Goon = 'Down'. GOONHILLY (Guaenelegh 1288,Goenhili 1290,Gounhely 1526,Goonehillye 1655) possibly Goonughella, 'the higher down', cf Brown Willy,'the higher hill'. Mr.Jenner suggests Goonhelghya, 'hunting down' which seems more in accordance with the old spellings. GRUGATH (Crucwaeth 977,Grofuth 1302,Grugoed 1318,and Grugith 1720) ?Cruc-goth 'mole hill,' cf Grogath in Cornelly near Tregony, Cruk Heyth in the Ordinalia and Criccieth in Caernarvon. Fields: Croft an garreck,Pengilly (21),Kennego, the Gew and Well Gew (17),P Menor (22),P Bean (12),P Ponds (23) P Kitchen,? Vellan (24),Dar Vrooth (=?'Fruit land'), P an Jamos,Cost an Coage (? for Croft an Cog (a)'Cuckoo's Croft'),.Caverlo,Coving Croft,Moorhops (b),P Warra (15),Crous levan (pron.Crushlevan). In the charter of King Edgar, AD977 the boundaries of Grugath are thus described:This is the land mark to Crucwaeth. First at Nantbuorthtel (Nan='Valley', cf also W.Buarth = 'cattle fold' and tel, ' a drawn line' R.M.N. This place, no longer known, must be where the two streams meet on the N.side of the farmland along the stream to Lenbrunn (='Pool of Rushes'. This is named also in the Lesneage Bounds q.v. and was probably at the head of the stream in Trevean plantation), then on to Cestel-Merit (now Kesle Merris. See also the Lesneage Bounds 967), then West to Wucou-Genidor (probably an error for Crucou 'Barrows' cf Crucou Merethen in the Lesneage Charter),West and along the dike, on the brook then on to Fonton Morgeonec (Fonton='Spring',probably the spring in the field between Grugath and Roskilly). Then on down to the brook where it first was. These bounds appear to include the whole of Grugath, now divided into three farms, and a considerable piece of the downs. GWENTER (Wynter 1263,1300,Wenter 1321, Gwinter 1720)PGwintyr,'White land', cf Windsor (Wynter 1327) A small hamlet on the edge of Goonhilly. Fields in 1810 P Vellan (24),Gew (17) Cost lost (25,Weith(26,Park Chappel an ancient chapel stood on Gwinter Praze or Green), The Bears,Enbalm. HALWYN (Penhalwyn 1285,Hallwin 1790, ? 'end of White Moor, cf Polwyn in Cury and Colan formerly Penhalwyn. Fields - Lousey Bushey, The Round (an entrenchment is in this field), Kitty Bodden, Park an Jets (? Gate f). Ludder Scroggan or Latter Scraggan.
Yüklə 236 Kb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
|